DON'T LOOK NOW
by deetatarant
Summary: Follows on immdediately after RESOLUTIONS. Ianto recieves some rather disconcerting photographs. NEED TO READ 'RESOLUTIONS' FIRST.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Follows on from 'Resolutions'....sorry you will need to have read that first to understand this....**

**DON'T LOOK NOW**

Ianto lurched to his feet, scattering the polaroids to the floor as he got up and began pacing around the lounge chewing at his lower lip and running his shaking hand through his hair. His chest tightened and nausea washed over him in floods. He was terrified and really didn't know what to do. If he told Jack he knew his lover would go mad with worry, immediately increase security and probably insist on locking up Ianto's family somewhere secure. If he said nothing then they would all be unaware of the danger that they were in therefore not prepared for anything if it should happen. Another emotion hit at him then, fury, worse absolute blind rage. He could not and would not live under a shroud of fear and intimidation. He would not be bullied into allowing these...these whoever they were to get away with mass murder and threatening the people he loved.

Ianto ran to the bedroom and grabbed his mobile speed dialling Jack's number. Jack picked up the call immediately.

"Jack can you meet me in the tourist office I need to see you straight away."

Ianto was comforted by Jack's unequivocal yes.

Twenty minutes later found him huddled over a mug of hot chocolate in Jack's office whilst Jack sat at his desk perusing the pictures. Jason hovered by the door, he hadn't met Ianto before that day and was curious about the man that Jack had dumped him for. It quickly became apparent to him how much the young Welshman meant to Jack and Ianto's place within Torchwood. Ianto ignored his presence there, entirely focussed on Jack and the very worried look on his face.

"Please tell me this is the first time this has happened."

Ianto nodded. "It's them, isn't it? This thing really isn't going to go away is it?"

Jack looked at him, no comfort there then. He put the pictures back in the envelope.

"Jack? What do we do? Because I don't mind telling you I am really fucking scared now."

"Jason could you leave us?"

He complied closing the door behind him. Jack got out of his seat and knelt down on the floor at Ianto's feet taking both his hands in his. He was at a loss for words and it broke his heart to see Ianto's spirit taking another battering. It had taken him a long time to recover from the Scotland trip, both physically and emotionally. As a couple they were just starting to get back on track.

"Well, we'll have to tell the others for a start, those pictures are intimate, and whoever is doing this is both confident and clever..." Ianto hitched a breath at that, "Maybe one of them has seen the person doing it without realising..."

"What about my family Jack? I've put them through so much already. How can I protect them without disrupting their lives again? How do I keep them safe? And what about Rhys? Why me Jack?" Ianto was close to breaking down.

Jack squeezed his hands. "I don't know. Maybe it's time we addressed that question and tried to find out."

Ianto nodded.

"Ianto, it'll mean going into everything about your past and I mean everything. You ok with that?"

Ianto met his look with a frown. "You think I have something to hide?"

Jack winced at the bitter edge in his tone. "No. You just need to be prepared for us to know everything."

"You know everything there is to know about me Jack, but do whatever it takes. I want this finished. I can't move on and no one is safe, no matter what I do. This is paralysing me Jack. I daren't start my new job in case more people are put at risk."

"I don't think there is an immediate danger Ianto. This is a reminder, so they can tell you where they want you to be."

"So what do we do?"

Jack leaned forward and kissed his forehead. "Firstly we are going to talk to the team; secondly you are staying in my sight from here on in...No arguments... and thirdly Owen is going to do a complete medical and biological profile on you."

"Why that?"

"They want you alive for a reason. Let's find that reason. Maybe you are different somehow, physically that is. Tosh and I will do the background profile..."

"Ok, I get the picture." Ianto smiled finally sagging into the chair, some of the stress leaving his body. "Thank you Jack."

"We will get to the bottom of this, I promise."

Ianto nodded. "Let me try to not get anyone killed or injured this time though, ok?"

"Deal."

"What about Mam and Rhia?"

"We'll go to see to visit them this evening and check things out, but I suspect it's probably safer not to tell them. I'll organise electronic surveillance of their houses. I don't think we should unduly worry them."

Again Ianto nodded, gathering himself together, "Right then. Gwen's going to react badly to those photos Jack."

"Let me handle that." Jack stood up bringing Ianto to his feet with him and pulling him into a tight embrace.

"I'm glad you came to me with this Yan. I know what you are like, trying to do things on your own. I'll do everything in my power to keep you safe, to protect your family."

They held one another very tightly. "I know Jack. I just never wanted to be in the position to ever have to ask that of you."

Jack eased himself away holding Ianto back at arms length so that they could look at other properly.

"Anything Ianto, you can ask anything of me and if I can give it, it's yours." The sincerity of those words brought a comforted smile to the younger man's face.

"I'll do my best not to let you regret that Jack."

"Right, time we talked to the others."

They were sat around the board room table. Jason had been excluded from the meeting initially by Jack, but Ianto insisted he be there as a member of the Torchwood team he had every right if this was to affect the day to day running of the Hub. Jason reminded himself to thank Ianto later. Owen's immediate reaction to the pictures took them all by surprise.

"Bloody cheek, there's not a single one of me in this lot! Anyone would think I didn't actually like you Tea Boy!"

Jack and Ianto exchanged grins at the joke but Gwen got into a flap. "Owen. It's not funny. Oh my God, Rhys. Jack is he safe?"

Tosh was a study in decorum. Then they all started talking at once.

Jack raised his hands to quiet the sudden barrage of chatter. "Everyone! Ok. Now then, first thing is first. Tosh I want you to go over the images with a fine tooth comb, see if you can figure where and when the pictures were taken. Maybe some CCTV camera somewhere picked up the photographer, and if we can figure out the times and places that may help." Tosh gathered all the images to her and picked them up.

"Right Jack."

"Gwen go with Jason to your flat do a discrete scan of your apartment, and I mean discrete, check for bugs, but don't give the game away. When you're done come straight back here."

Tosh, Gwen and Jason all rose to their feet.

"I'll get you a scanner Gwen." Tosh said as the three of them left the room.

Jack turned to Owen. "Owen I want you to take Ianto apart, every conceivable test, scan experiment that you have, if there is anything that marks him against the rest of the human race. I want to know about it. Just remember to re assemble him when you're done."

"What am I looking for Jack?"

Ianto and Jack both shrugged. "They singled him out for a reason; we need to know what it is."

"What are you going to do Harkness, watch?"

Jack grinned rather naughtily to which Ianto scowled at him. "No, he's going to organise some CCTV so we can keep an eye on my Mam and sister, aren't you Jack?"

"Spoil my fun. I'm re-opening Ianto's Torchwood protocols as well." Jack glanced at his lover, seeking approval? Owen wondered.

Ianto nodded. "I suppose so; I expect I'll be here a fair bit won't I?"

Owen rolled his eyes. "Welcome to Torchwood, and you are, welcome to it that is."

Ianto wasn't sure how he felt about that.

**AN: UPDATES WILL BE SLOWER ON THIS ONE TERM RESTARTS ON MONDAY....ASSESSMENTS...UHMMM.**


	2. Chapter 2

**DON'T LOOK NOW: PART TWO**

Ianto had never been so thoroughly examined in his life. It was quite likely that by now Owen knew more about his body than he did. Ianto found that mildly disconcerting as he buttoned up his shirt. He still found such small movements of his fingers difficult, but it was infinitely better than it had been a few weeks ago. He became aware of Jack's presence above as the older man leaned over the railings grinning...well leering more like.

"Harkness this is a consulting space not a peep show." Owen chided from his desk where he was studying the MRI images from the scans he had run.

"You done with him?"

"Yes. You can take him away and molest him now if you like."

Ianto huffed out a sigh. "I am in the room, you know...Anything Owen?" Ianto moved to look over his shoulder.

"Not yet mate this'll take me a few hours to go through everything, go and make Jack some coffee before he starts drooling would you?"

Ianto smiled and wandered up out of the autopsy bay. "Did you want coffee Jack?"

The smile said it all. "I unpacked your coffee maker specially; Jason never could get it right." He took Ianto's hand. "You OK?"

Ianto shook his head. "I've never felt this...vulnerable before...and don't tell me everything will be OK Jack, because I know it won't be."

Jack agreed, he brought Ianto's hand to his face squeezing it gently. Ianto wished he could feel it properly.

"You're still having trouble?"

"Dr Cameron said that they are as good as they are going to get. I can have more surgery in a few months to remove the scarring, but he doesn't think that the function will improve by very much. It's just little things, like buttons, typing. The pain has stopped though, that's a good thing."

"Think you could handle a gun now?"

Ianto looked up into his concerned gaze. "Only one way to find out." He pulled his hand away from Jack's grasp. It was something that irked him, the fact that they no longer felt or looked like his hands, the skin still reddened and knotted from the flames in Ollie's car. He still hated to look at them, a reminder he really didn't need. The scars were ugly too and Jack's hands were so beautiful, like his used to be. Ianto knew he should be grateful for the fact that the damage wasn't worse, but he wasn't. Jack watched his face closely as all these thoughts played across the frown on the young man's face.

"Penny for them?" He asked gently.

Ianto offered up a faint ghost of a smile that did not even attempt to reach his oceanic eyes. "I was just thinking how much I hated my hands. I can't feel you properly when I touch you, I miss that."

Jack enveloped him in an embrace bringing as much of their bodies into contact as he could and burying his face Ianto's neck. Ianto's arms automatically went around him.

"That better?"

"Yes Cariad. That's better."

Managing a hand gun was proving more difficult than Ianto would've imagined. Twice he fired off shots before he realised he'd even touched the trigger. His aim was fine, his grip was shit and it took four hours of intense concentration on his part to get the 'feel' of the weapon in his hand. The results were disappointing as far as Ianto was concerned but at least he could point it in the right direction and hold it well enough to shoot. Jack stowed the weapons as Ianto made his way back up the Hub. Gwen and Jason had returned by that point and Jason motioned for Ianto to join him in the board room. Reluctantly Ianto followed him to the room and Jason closed the door at his back. They sat at opposite ends on the table.

"I wanted to thank you for including me in the briefing this morning. You didn't have to do that and I appreciate it."

Ianto inclined his head slightly. "It affects Torchwood whatever issues lie between us because of Jack's indiscretions, should not impact on operations here."

Jason shifted in his seat slightly annoyed at the description. "I see. Jack and I were good you know."

"Is that meant to make me feel uncomfortable?"

"You put him through hell."

Ianto glared at him. "Don't even presume to understand my relationship with Jack. I'm sorry if you got hurt, but THAT was not my doing. If you want him back that badly, why don't you ask him?"

Jason gaped then collected himself quickly. "I just don't like being used."

"I'm not using you so why are you saying it to me?"

The door opened and Jack breezed in, pretending like he didn't realise it was a private conversation, neither man was convinced by it. Jason got to his feet and walked out.

Jack hesitantly sat down.

"Do I want to know?"

Ianto sighed, tiredly. "Just another one of your jilted ex lovers being shoved in my face. What is it with you and shagging the staff Jack?" There was no humour in his tone of voice.

Jack at least had the decency to feel ashamed. "I never promised him anything."

"You don't have to Jack, us 21st century folk just make the assumption that when you get into bed with someone it actually means something. It's about time you learnt that lesson, don't you think?"

There was a long awkward silence. Jack eventually ventured to speak.

"Are we ok?"

Ianto nodded. "Yes, we're ok, but HE isn't. You need to talk to him."

"I will."

"I don't want to have to deal with him every time I come in to the Hub."

"You want me to fire him?"

Ianto shook his head, mildly disturbed by the fact that Jack was considering it. "Of course not. I need a coffee." He got to his feet and went out to the kitchenette, failing to notice the slight smile on Jason's face as he passed him. Jack however did not. Jason had to go; it was as simple as that as far as Jack was concerned. He'd done it before, more than once in the past...Retcon level three would do the trick.

Owen snapped him out of his reverie waving a folder about in Jack's line of vision.

"You, me and Ianto, need to talk." He marched straight to Jack's office.

"Ianto, my office, now!"

Ianto came into the room a few moments later with two mugs of coffee and a long suffering look on his face. He passed a mug to Jack then paled somewhat when he saw the look on Owen's face.

"Sit, Ianto we have lots to discuss."

Ianto noticed with some concern that Jack's Webley was sitting on his desk next to his right hand.

"I'm not going to like this am I?" Ianto perched himself on the edge of the ratty couch and gulped his too hot coffee down.

"You are in very good physical health, but I found two...anomalies, for want of a better word."

"Go on."

Owen looked away from Jack and faced Ianto. "There is no easy way to tell you this......."


	3. Chapter 3

**DON'T LOOK NOW: PART THREE**

Owen sucked in a steadying breath. "There are some abnormalities in your DNA. I ran a comparison test against your mother's and father's DNA, just to make sure of my findings. Your biological father was not Euan Daffyd Jones; in fact your father wasn't even human."

Ianto stared at him for a moment, then smiled and looked to Jack, then back to Owen. Neither of them shared his expression.

"That's a joke, right?"

"I'm not laughing Ianto."

The mug slipped from Ianto's grasp and bounced on the carpet. His face went white. Instantly worried Jack got up and came and sat by his side, resting a hand on his leg.

"Yan?"

"This really isn't funny Jack." His tone was deadly.

"It's the truth Yan. Owen is telling you the truth."

Ianto stared down at his hands. He opened his mouth to speak, closed it again.

"I...I am human, my Mam and Tad are both from Cardiff Jack. I grew up in Newport, I had a dog called Simba, and I have a sister...Of course I'm human. What are you saying?" He fixed his terrified gaze on Owen. "Are you saying I'm some kind of sleeper agent thing or something like that poor woman we gunned down earlier last year? Oh God...Oh God...Oh..." Tears poured down his face.

"I feel sick...I need to be sick."

Owen grabbed the waste paper bin and shoved it into Jack's grasp.

"Look Ianto. Your back ground is not in question. We know your past. It's just we're not sure of your species on your father's side."

Ianto retched for a minute his face flushed scarlet. "Oh...What about my Mam?"

"She's complete bonefide Welsh, through and through. Look mate I'm sorry. It's no biggy, you've never known as far as you are concerned, you are human. Your nature is human, the same as me and Jack. It's just the basics in your DNA that are different." Owen tried to sound as soothing as possible.

"Basics?!!! What the fuck does that mean?" Ianto spat back.

Jack rubbed his back soothingly. "You said there was something else."

Owen nodded, grateful for the deflection. "There's a tag chip embedded in the back of your skull. It is giving off very low energy readings but we haven't been able to activate it. I'm assuming it's like chip similar to ones they implant in pets."

Ianto couldn't take this in and he looked at Jack in desperation, this had to be an elaborate joke, it had to be.

"A tracking device?" Jack asked.

Owen nodded. "Looks that way. It's been in there a long time too. I'd say it was implanted at least 20 years ago, and that tracks with Ianto's NHS medical records as he was admitted to casualty in August 1988 with a fractured skull having fallen out of a tree."

Ianto had a glazed expression on his face and he nodded his head absently in confirmation. "I remember that. Mam was cross with Tad because he'd made me a super hero costume for my birthday and I leapt out of the willow tree in our back garden and cracked my head on a branch on the way down." He sagged against Jack who held him.

Owen sat there feeling awkward. "Ianto, we're going to have to talk to your mother about this." He looked to Jack for guidance who was shaking his head.

"Owen can you give us a minute?"

The medic got up. "Not a word to the others, I take it?"

"Not a word, for now at least." Owen nodded and left the room closing the door behind him.

Jack resumed his gentle rubbing of circles over Ianto's back. Ianto buried his face into his hands wanting to shut out the light, shut out everything really. This was just too much...what?....Who was he?

"Am I danger to anyone Jack?"

The massaging stopped and Ianto felt Jack gently grasp at his wrists. His hands tugged away from his flushed face. Their eyes met, searching one another's for comfort, answers, anything that would diminish the sense of chaos.

"I don't think so. All this time Yan...you haven't known...You..."

"But I know now Jack! Look at what Beth became when her...when her alien side took over. What if I...."

"Ianto, stop right there. You are not like her. Owen has already run the comparison tests. You're not a threat. You're just you. My Ianto Jones." Jack insisted.

"Jack I have enough trouble figuring out who I am from day to day and now I don't even know what I am... Has my Mam lied to me all this time? Did my Tad know that I am not his son? What am I Jack? Who the fuck tagged me like a dog?"

Jack held his face tightly so that Ianto was forced to look at him. "You are Ianto Jones and regardless of the physiology, which obviously can't be a whole different to mine or Owen's...You're... the most human person I have ever known. The genetics do not change who you are now....the same person that I loved 20 minutes ago and I sure as hell aren't going to stop loving you over a few dodgy strands of DNA!" Jack kissed him fiercely, but Ianto made no effort to respond so he pulled away. "Don't shut me out Yan."

"I'm a monster Jack."

"No." Jack stood up and dropping his hands to Ianto's shoulders he yanked him to his feet and dragged him reluctantly to a small square mirror that was hanging on the wall in the corner. Jack forced him to look at his reflection.

"That is who you are." Jack's arms found their way about his waist and he leant his chin on Ianto's shoulder and both their faces were visible in the glass. "My beautiful, kind, funny Ianto. The one who keeps me anchored to this world and keeps me sane. The one, the only one who truly knows me and accepts me. Don't lose sight of it Yan, whatever happens never forget that I will always love you."

Ianto rested his hands over Jack's. "I think I just want to sleep right now Jack. Can we go home?"

Jack hesitated. "No, for tonight you should stay here, let's be certain that nothing untoward has been activated with this new found knowledge, just to be safe."

Ianto nodded, understanding what that meant.

"You'd best put me in the cells then."

"No."

"Jack, its procedure. The others need to be safe. If there is the remotest chance I could be a danger to them, I want to be locked away. You know I'm right. I'm tired and I need to think in peace. I can rest down there and be secure, please Jack."

Finally Jack nodded.


	4. Chapter 4

**DON'T LOOK NOW: PART 4**

Owen reluctantly led Ianto down to the cells. He was not at all convinced by Ianto's assurances that he himself had insisted on confinement until they were certain he was safe to have him around. He left Ianto with quilt and pillows and watched through the security glass as the young man settled himself down on the bench and went to sleep. Owen had strapped a bio monitor to Ianto's wrist and checking that his PDA was picking up the readings he made his way up to the Hub. Jack and Jason were in Jack's office and Gwen and Tosh were waiting in the board room. Owen decided to join the girls.

Jack poured two glasses of whiskey and palmed a Retcon solution into one of the glasses, he handed that one to Jason and gestured for him to take a seat. Jason complied and sat there studying his glass before looking across at Jack.

"This is drugged isn't it?"

Jack nodded. "I've made the arrangements for you to have an equivalent post at UNIT HQ. I appreciate that I am in the wrong here, but I will not tolerate anyone making life difficult for Ianto and I know that you will, even though he has done nothing to you, quite the reverse, he's tried to protect your position here from me."

"And if I refuse to drink it?"

"There's no refusal Jason one way or another...that's simply the easy less stressful way." Jack's tone was measured. "Whichever way we do this, you'll be in London tomorrow afternoon."

"Bastard! You really are a piece of work! You have no right to play with my life like that."

"And you had no right to direct you're bitterness toward Ianto. I will do whatever it takes to protect him, starting with you."

Jason slugged the contents of the glass in one gulp. "One day Jack, something from your sick past is going to wreak all kinds of havoc on you and the only one who won't be damaged by any of it is you. You disgust me, which is a shame because you really are very hot. You'll be alone in the end. Ianto won't last long...he'll either die or start to get old and then you'll just abandon him like you do everyone else....Fuck you...fuck you."

The glass slipped from his loose hand and Jason's chin dropped to his chest.

Once satisfied that he was properly unconscious Jack left him in the office and joined the rest of the team in the board room.

Tosh was glaring at Jack the moment he entered.

"Why is Ianto in the cells?"

Jack glanced to Owen who offered an unhappy look. "I haven't told them anything Jack."

Jack sat down and sucked in a calming breath. "Right. Gwen did you find any surveillance devices in your flat?"

"Not a thing, it's clean."

"Good. Tosh what were you able to pull off the images?"

Tosh sighed. "I expect an answer to my question Jack." She responded rather defiantly.

"I will explain everything in time, please Tosh, your findings." He said gently but firmly.

"Ok. All the photos were taken on the same batch of Polaroid film. The film itself is about 10 years old as it's no longer commercially available, but I couldn't track it to its source. The pictures were all taken around Cardiff, but there's nothing on them that enables me to identify the photographer. Places we are all familiar with, but nothing to indicate the date any of these pictures were taken. At a guess all of them over the last couple of weeks though. The only absolute I have is the jacket I am wearing. I haven't worn it for 11 days because it was ripped and Ianto has it at home to mend for me when his hands are a bit better."

"Thank you Tosh."

"Owen, how's Ianto doing?"

Owen felt distinctly uncomfortable. "Everything Jack?"

Jack nodded. "Ianto's fine with it, really. He wants everyone in the loop."

"Ok, I ran every single diagnostic test known to man and beast. Two things became evident; the first is that Ianto's parentage is in question. There are distinctly alien strands in his DNA. He's..."

Gwen and Tosh looked at him aghast. "What?"

"Like I said. His mother, definitely human...his father...well I am still going through our archive database to find a genetic match. He's still Ianto, he's still the same person we all know and some of us love, but..well with a bit of a twist. Really physically the differences between us and him are miniscule, barely noticeable. He's in good physical health and showing no signs of going psycho on us."

"Wait a minute; is he like Beth...a sleeper agent?"

Jack and Owen shook their heads.

"That was my first thought...No definitely not. He has a traceable NHS health care record, had a normal birth in a hospital, and has GP and Torchwood medical files. It's all Kosher. I sincerely believe Ianto had no idea...Trust me he was pretty upset when I told him."

Tosh and Gwen were at a loss for words and Tosh looked at Jack.

"Is he ok?"

"Not really. It's a lot for him to process...but why ever he is the way he is...It had to be deliberately done so that he would blend in with the human population without detection."

"How did Torchwood London not know?" Tosh demanded. "He would've been given a thorough medical when he joined."

Owen shrugged. "Who is to say that they didn't? You know what Yvonne Hartman's lot were like...If it's alien it's ours...Either way someone wanted to keep track of him because the second thing I found was a tracking device embedded in his skull, and it's been there since his childhood."

"Are you suggesting that Torchwood did this?" Gwen asked.

Jack looked to Owen in surprise.

"There is a possibility. He was recruited by T1 straight out of university; the guy has a degree in English what use is that to a bunch of dodgy alien catchers?" Owen explained, as if that answered everything.

"Is there any way to confirm that?"

"I can take a look through all the surviving T1 records, but it'll take time." Tosh replied.

"Ok. We'll call it a night. Owen, can you make sure Gwen and Tosh get home safely? Then I'll need you back here. Just so that you all know. Jason will be transferring to UNIT so he won't be here after today."

No one questioned it. They all knew why.

Everyone dispersed from the room and Jack turned to Owen. "I'll be with Ianto come and find me when you get back."

Owen nodded.

Jack was more than a little surprised to find Ianto curled up in a duvet on the concrete bench, his head resting on pillows that normally were reserved for naps on the sofa upstairs. He smiled to himself as he opened the door and sealed it closed behind him. Very gently he manoeuvred Ianto's head on to his lap and ran his fingers through his hair. The movement elicited a brief tensioning in the young man's body and a mumbled sentence in Welsh, but he didn't wake, for which Jack was silently grateful. Jack rested his head against the brickwork and closed his eyes, tomorrow was not going to be a good day.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: THIS WILL BE THE LAST UPDATE FOR A FEW DAYS...UNIVERSITY...BLAH....BLAH....BLAH!!!**

**DON'T LOOK NOW: PART 5**

Ianto awoke feeling stiff and cold, but as he opened his eyes he realised that he was not resting his head on a pillow, something rather warmer and actually damned uncomfortable. Rubbing at his sore neck he sat up, only to be pulled into a body hug by Jack's strong arms. Ianto settled himself tightly against Jack and pulled the quilt around them both.

"You shouldn't be in here, you know." He said quietly.

Jack's hold on him tightened. "Where else would I be?"

"Have you told the others?"

"Yeah."

Ianto could feel the comforting touch of Jack's fingers in his hair. "How did they react?" He asked, a touch nervous.

"They're worried about you, upset that you're in here, the same as I am. Tosh couldn't pull anything conclusive off those photos and Gwen's house isn't being bugged."

"And Jason, what did he say?"

"He's gone back to UNIT. I transferred him. It was the only way to handle the situation."

Ianto nodded not at all reassured. "Please tell me you didn't Retcon him?"

"I did. I had to Yan."

Ianto pulled himself back and sat up so he could look at Jack. They studied each other for a long time.

"I'm not going to get into a moral debate over it Jack. You know my feelings on the matter. So what time is it?"

"3am." Jack touched the blue tooth com in his ear. "Owen, how are the readings, can I let Ianto out of here?"

There was a pause before Owen replied. "Everything's in the green Jack, as far as I'm concerned there was never any danger anyway. Let him out."

"Is everything ok?" Ianto asked.

Jack was grinning and he reached out to take his lover's hand. "Yep and I want coffee, come on."

They sat on the couch behind Tosh's work station and Owen perched himself on the edge of Gwen's desk.

"So what's the plan?" Ianto stretched out his legs and relaxed back.

"Tosh is going to go over everything we have in the database from TW1 to see if there is anything there, try and get an ID on your...well whatever it is you've been crossed with and it'll be business as usual for the rest of us."

"I'll need to talk to Mam, she may know...something." Ianto replied distantly. "Do you think she has been lying to me?"

"I've no idea Yan, but when I met her she didn't strike me as the type of mother who'd lie to her children."

Ianto sat up. "Oh, God Rhia, my sister, what if she's like me too?"

Ianto got out of the car and pulled his coat tightly about him, looking over the top of the vehicle at Jack for reassurance. Jack offered him a faint smile blatantly aware of how worried Ianto was. Ianto led the way through the wooden gate to his mother's front door and it was flung open before he had a chance to knock.

"Mam." Ianto engulfed her in a warm embrace but one look into his eyes from her and she knew something was wrong. Then she saw Jack behind him.

"You two better come in. I have a feeling that Torchwood is about to be dumped on my lap again isn't it?"

Guiltily Ianto smiled. "Yes, mam." He followed her into the overly neat house and into the kitchen a folder grasped tightly in his hand.

She glided around the kitchen with same elegance that Ianto had, her movements graceful and efficient as she set about making coffee for them. Jack watched her with an appreciative eye, Ianto was so like her. The two men sat at the dining table and finally she joined them with coffee pot, crockery and homemade biscuits.

Ianto shifted uneasily on his stool and smiled stupidly, feeling sick inside and really not certain how to start this conversation.

"Mam. I had to have an extensive medical exam yesterday."

She froze in the process of putting sugar in her coffee. "Are you ill?"

Ianto shook his head. "I wish I was, it would easier. Owen did an analysis of my DNA, he discovered that Tad isn't my biological father." There, he'd said it.

The teaspoon clattered onto her cup and she looked at her son with something akin to bewilderment.

"I beg your pardon."

Ianto edged the appropriate piece of paper toward her. "I need to know who my real father is."

She stared at the paper then looked from her son to Jack her face blank. For a moment she seemed at a loss for words, but then the anger sank in with the meaning behind what Ianto had said. She reached out and slapped his face so hard that Ianto yelped, tears stinging his eyes. His hand went to his smarting face.

"How dare you! How dare you come into my house and accuse me of that! How dare you. You're Tad has been the only man ever in my life. I am not some cheap tart. Your Tad was the most important thing in the world to me. He WAS your father and if you say that to me again I will never speak to you again!"

Ianto shrank away from her. "Mam, please. I am not trying to judge you or him. It's just the proof is right there and I need to know."

"What is it, ashamed of us now are you? Not good enough for your Captain here...."

Jack got up at that. "Mrs Jones, please. Ianto is not trying to ....."

She rounded on him, furious. "Euan Jones was the kindest, most decent man that ever walked this Earth. I loved him. Ianto is his and mine, our baby and you Torchwood people have made him into some...some monster!"

"Mam! It's not Jack's fault."

Ianto blanched at the heart broken look she threw him. "No it's yours. You left us behind. I don't know who you are any more. Euan would be ashamed of you, how can you defile his memory like this?"

Tears were running down Ianto's face. "Mam, I would never do that. I loved Tad, more than anyone. I miss him and some days I wish I'd died instead of him, he's still my Tad regardless of this....but I need the truth."

Mrs Jones rose up to her full height, which wasn't much but her rage was a force to be reckoned with.

"You think I'd lie to you? You think your father would lie? You were such a sweet boy once. I don't know who you are anymore. Now get out!"

"Mam."

"I said leave. I never want to see you again. You have put me through too much with your disappearing acts and foney funerals. Leave...Now!"

Shaking with grief Ianto got up and practically ran from the house leaving a stunned Jack and an infuriated mother in his wake. Jack got up slowly and faced her trying to contain his own anger.

"He is not trying to hurt you. He needs the truth. The facts are undisputable. If you actually feel like talking after you've calmed down, you know how to get hold of me. I know it's not something you want to face and for what it's worth he does love his father and I know how much he misses him." He walked away closing the front door behind him.

Jack found Ianto outside on his knees on the concrete pavement. He wasn't crying, just kneeling there on the cold ground looking pale and shocked. Jack carefully hauled him to his feet and cuddled him.

"Come on, let me take you home."

Ianto allowed himself to be led back to the SUV without a word.


	6. Chapter 6

**DON'T LOOK NOW: PART SIX**

Ianto leant his head against the cold glass as Jack drove them back to the Hub. He couldn't decide whether he was more angry with himself or his mother. How could she not know? Why had she lied to him? He had never seen her so hurt and so mad with him. Perhaps she didn't know, maybe something had been done without her knowledge or co-operation, Torchwood wasn't the only organisation with memory affecting drugs. Had they raped her? Ianto closed his eyes feeling sick to his stomach with guilt at what he had just put his mother through and with sadness when he realised it was unlikely she would ever want to speak to him again.

He could sense Jack glancing at him every so often but it was painfully obvious that the older man had no idea what to say to him. There was no comfort, words would be meaningless right now and Jack was wise enough to know that much and Ianto appreciated him for not trying. It led him to wonder whether or not his father had really died from cancer. Ok so maybe that was a little paranoid. He'd have to talk to his sister too. No doubt his Mam had already been on the phone to her after Ianto's visit. Was his sister going to send him away too? Ianto was sure she would, they had never been very close anyway. Still, she was the only family he had left. He felt Jack's hand briefly squeeze his knee and Ianto offered him a faint smile by way of thanks, it was the best gesture...so Jack...so comforting in it's simplicity. He stared out of the windscreen not registering the passing of streets or brief halts at the traffic lights until Jack slammed on the brakes. Their passage down a one way side street was suddenly blocked by a black transit van. Jack was about to reverse when he noticed one had slid in quietly behind them cutting off any escape. Ianto sighed and undid his seat belt and he and Jack stepped out of the SUV with their hand guns out they were confronted by four suited men. Jack glanced worriedly toward Ianto to check that he was able maintain a hold on his weapon.

One of the men stepped forwards and Ianto was fleetingly reminded of Agent K from the Men in Black movie.

"We've come for Jones." His accent was unidentifiable.

Jack swaggered forward looking far more confident than he felt. "You can't have him." The Webley was held unwavering. Ianto looked from his own gun to Jack's and the three pointed at them. This was not going to go well and he really didn't want anyone else to die, not for him at least. There had been too much loss, too high a price had been paid and he knew full well that there would only be more to come. An idea struck him and to the horror of everyone else Ianto jammed the barrel of his own weapon under his chin. It took Jack a moment to register what their assailants were staring at. He did a double take aghast.

"Ianto what the hell are you doing?" Jack's face paled visibly.

Ianto sucked in a frightened breath. "Two things are going to happen." His voice gave away just how nervous he was. "You guys are gonna let Jack go, unharmed. Jack you are going to drive away in the SUV and leave me here." He tightened his grip on his gun.

"What the fuck are you doing?"

"No arguments Jack. I will not have anyone else die, not over me....I need answers...this is the only way. If none of you co-operate I will shoot myself."

The four men backed off a pace, but Jack held his ground gaping at Ianto. "Yan, don't...don't do this."

The transit van behind the SUV drove away with a screech of tyres.

"Don't be an ass Jack. Just go, please. I'll be ok they need me alive. I need answers Jack."

Jack didn't move. "I am not letting them take you."

"Yes you are. I am asking you. I know then that you and the others will be safe, my family will be safe. Jack you know I am right!" Ianto's resolve strengthened. "Please Jack."

Uncertain Jack lowered his gun taking a pace toward Ianto, who backed off. "Do it for me Jack." Ianto stepped slowly in the direction of the first van that had stopped in front of the SUV. "Please Jack.....please I don't want anyone to die here. They'll only come back and maybe some else will get hurt. I might be with Gwen or Tosh...I really can't risk that. You know I am right."

Slowly and reluctantly Jack nodded keeping his face rigid in an effort to hide his hurt. "I'll come looking for you. You know I won't give up."

Ianto smiled warmed by his lover's resolve even when he knew it was likely he would never see him again. "I'm counting on it Jack." He watched as Jack turned away in a swirl of great coat.

Jack sighed unhappily retreating and getting back into the SUV. With a last look at Ianto he floored the accelerator and reversed the SUV out of the street and drove away.

Ianto, still with his gun under his chin pulled out his mobile and dialled Jack's number. He was relieved when Jack picked up the call.

"You away safely? No one following?"

"No one's behind me Yan...I will find you...stay safe."

Ianto hung up and lowered his weapon.


	7. Chapter 7

**DON'T LOOK NOW PART 8**

_Base Log Torchwood 3: Captain Jack Harkness._

_Things have been exceedingly quiet lately. It feels as though the Rift is goading me with boredom and nothing to distract me from my worry over Ianto. It's been three weeks since he effectively handed himself over to whoever these guys are that took him. There has been no trace. What is considerably more disconcerting is the fact that since then his bank accounts have been closed and his mobile phone disconnected. Additional to that is the disappearance of his sister Rhiannah Evans and her two children, they too have been missing for three weeks, presumably picked up the same day as Ianto._

_Ianto's mother is insistent that she doesn't know anything and remains shocked at the notion that Ianto and Rhiannah are not her husband's children. This begs the question of how.....I have ordered for Euan Jones' body to be exhumed. Ianto's mother will not be happy about this, but I need answers there is something very sinister at work here and quite frankly I am not entirely convinced that this isn't some elaborate invasion plan of some kind...Maybe I've been watching too many episodes of the X-files.....Damn Ianto and his passion for Sci Fi._

_I do not know where to look or what to do. I am furious with Ianto for letting them take him, but I also understand wholly his motives. I know he needed answers, ones that I cannot give him. I also believe that he holds himself responsible for the deaths of Ollie and his family which is nonsense, but this is Ianto I am talking about, he carries so much...too much for a man of his years sometimes I would look at him and think he was older than me._

_I am fairly certain that I will not see him alive again. I am trying to come to terms...Don't want to...But I have to move on, run Torchwood and keep going and I know he would expect that of me. I just hate going back to our flat and he's not there, but I like to go there because that's when I feel closest to him._

_The other's are just carrying on. Tosh was upset and very quiet for a few days, Gwen, quite frankly didn't seem to give a toss one way or the other. She's still mad at me for the way I treated Jason, which is fair enough. Owen is just angry. If anything he is more angry than I am...The death toll on this one has been too high....We learnt that Professor Porter at Edinburgh University died in a car accident last week. I emailed Archie and told him to watch his back. I don't know what else to do but in the mean time I have listed Ianto MIA for the time being and just hope we have some news soon one way or the other. I need closure, I can't believe how much he has affected me and I haven't hurt this badly in a very long time._

_Capt Jack Harkness._

Rhys stared unhappily at the pile of mail waiting for him on his normally neat desk. Two days away and Harwood's Haulage gets a deluge of junk mail and with the lovely Brenda off sick.....Well no Danish for him with his coffee then, just the mail. He was more than a little surprised to receive a Polaroid photograph of a man in a hospital bed with a bunch of numbers scribbled on the back. He tossed it aside and then froze. He knew that man, didn't he? He picked up the picture and looked at it closely, wasn't that Jack's boyfriend? The Jones kid?

Rhys reached for the phone.

Much to Gwen's horror Jack drove like a maniac to Rhys' depot. He practically threw himself into the portacabin office and Rhys barely had a chance to say hello before Jack had snatched up the picture to take a look. It was Ianto, and not looking too good either, though Owen would likely be a better judge. Jack waved dismissively at Rhys and went straight back to the SUV leaving Gwen behind to explain the situation. As he drove Jack kept glancing at the picture, his gut clenched with a confused mixture of hope and worry, he studied the numbers on the back. GPS co-ordinates. It was a break that was too good to be true, or was it a trap? Maybe they were just taunting him, though that seemed unlikely.

Owen studied the Polaroid carefully before handing it to Tosh.

"Well he's on a ventilator in some kind of sealed room....It's too hard to tell but he doesn't look good, the machine beside the bed is for dialysis, it does the work of the kidneys, filtering the blood. If he's got Renal failure Jack, that's pretty serious."

"Where is he Tosh?"

She brought the co-ordinates on her screen. "This is an industrial estate in Merton in South London. The exact positioning is this building here on Jubilee Way. I'll call it up, give me a moment." She tapped away for a few moments. "Here we go Genetec Research Ltd, specialist researchers into vaccines for the farming industry. Cows, sheep and pigs and poultry. This particular facility is currently involved in research for finding a vaccination for 'Bird Flu'. Head of research is one Doctor Marion Langford, Oxford PHD in Genetics...The web site looks pretty standard, very PHARM like. I don't want to try to get into their system though from here, they'll know it's us because I am sure they'll assume...."

"That we're looking for Ianto."

"Exactly."

"Ok, Tosh. See what you CAN find out without attracting any attention. Owen has Euan's body arrived yet?"

Owen nodded. "I was just about to start on it. Though realistically if there was any evidence they surely would have had him cremated, I don't think we'll find anything Jack."

Jack just smiled at him.

Owen shook his head. "I know, I know. I just hate old corpses."

Jack was sympathetic, it couldn't be easy being a dead man cutting up bodies. "Just do what you can. Thank you."

"I'm going to London. Whilst I am gone it will be business as usual here. Tosh I will contact you through the secure emailing system off site and I don't want anyone phoning me on my usual number. We'll use the pre pays, just in case."

Owen hesitated before heading down to the autopsy bay.

"You going alone?"

Jack nodded. "I'll sort out some help when I get there. Don't worry. Just keep this place ticking over. If anyone wants me I've gone off somewhere to get over my losses...or whatever excuse you care to come up with. Owen make sure we have a secure medical containment area set up in case I come back with Ianto in a Hazmat suit."

Owen nodded. "Jack, you may not be able to relocate him."

"We'll see." Jack pulled out his house keys and passed them to Tosh. "Could you feed our cat....Ianto will go spare if Moses dies of starvation because I forgot to get him fed."

Tosh smiled up at him. "Just bring him home Jack."


	8. Chapter 8

**DON'T LOOK NOW: PART**

Martha Jones peered through the containment glass, trying her level best to keep her emotions at bay as she watched the Hazmat suited UNIT medic move about the space she could not enter. She sighed turning away and pulling out her mobile phone.... Jack was not going to be happy..... she hit the speed dial. It was a moment before her friend and former travelling companion took the call, he was obviously driving.

"Hey, Jack its Martha."

"My nightingale. Martha this is a surprise, how are you?" He sounded tense even through the phone line.

"I'm ok Jack. You need to come to London. I found Ianto and others, it's a Torchwood problem... but you need to get here fast. I'll text you the GPS......"

"I'm already on my way, are you in Merton by any chance?"

Martha was frowning now. "Yes, how did you know?"

"I'll explain when I get there, see you in about an hour."

Martha hung up and went back to looking into the isolation room. It had been a long night and a highly stressful morning trying to get this situation contained. Nearly 40 people had been arrested, all of them apparently Torchwood employees and she was wondering how in hell Jack didn't know about this, or maybe he did. Martha wanted to doubt it especially when she had found Ianto in the state that he was in. Specialist medical technicians were in there with him now and a dozen or so other patients including two young children. Unfortunately the databases had been wiped two chambers had been flooded with lethal doses of radiation sentencing those inside to death, it had been nothing short of a miracle that they had been able to stop the rest of these victims, test subjects, abductees.... from being killed outright. Whichever way she looked at it, it wasn't good and Martha couldn't help but wonder why Ianto was here and what the Hell had been going on. The containment and clean up was going to be a nightmare because they had no idea what they were dealing with.

Forty seven minutes later and Jack Harkness was standing at her side, mirroring her gaze, his face a composed, blank mask.

"I need to get in there." It was the first thing he said to her, greetings could wait.

Martha nodded. "You'll need a suit, we can't risk anyone getting exposed until we know what it is we are dealing with."

Jack nodded.

It took far too long to organise and Jack was fast losing his patience by the time he was finally admitted into the sealed chamber. It looked like any other hospital room if you ignored the suited figures wandering about the beds. Ianto's was situated at the far end of the room and Jack had to bite back his shock at what he saw. So much machinery, the first thing he thought of was Lisa and how much Ianto would hate this if were aware of it. He recognised the ventilator, the IV, the monitors and the machine Owen had pointed out in the Polaroid as being for dialysis. There were wires and tubes everywhere and a steady whirring of sound. What was visible of Ianto's skin was white alabaster like, the fine dark hairs of his chest and arms starkly contrasted. It was odd, even with the tube taped against his chin and sensors stuck against his temple the young man looked remarkably peaceful in his comatose state. Jack grasped his limp hand unable to gain any sense of his lover through the Hazmat suit, other than the bonelessness of the limb in his grip. Not really sure what to do Jack just stood there and watched for a long time before he finally felt some one tap his shoulder. He turned. It was Martha similarly suited, smiling through the visor.

"We're going to be moving the less critical patients soon. I was wondering if you wanted to sit in on the questioning of the prisoners. They're Torchwood, you should be there."

Jack narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean they are Torchwood?"

Martha knew his surprise was genuine and was grateful for it. "Torchwood 4?"

Jack sighed. "Do whatever you deem is required. I'm staying with Ianto."

"Are you sure Jack?"

He nodded. "As far as I am concerned UNIT have full jurisdiction over this. Just find out what the hell they were up to and I can trust you to keep me in the loop?"

Martha gently squeezed his shoulder. "I will Jack, I promise and here's a chair, you may want to sit down for a bit."

"I want to get Ianto out of here as soon as possible."

Martha was shaking her head at him. "We won't be moving him anywhere for a while Jack, he's too ill. Transporting him is too risky because we need to keep him contained our initial tests indicate that these people have all been infected with some kind of Virus similar to the Marbug strain that killed people in China a couple of years ago. It looks like different types of treatment are being tested out in these patients."

Jack sighed unhappily. "You'll need to talk to Owen. We discovered that Ianto has discrepancies in his DNA, it may be connected to this, he can email all of his notes. I want him here anyway, no disrespect Martha but he has more experience with this sort of thing."

Martha offered up a reassuring grin. "Don't worry Jack. I'll call him and get him a helicopter ride over, he'll love that!"

Jack returned his attention to Ianto. "Can you send out a couple of trustworthy soldiers to Cardiff to give Tosh and Gwen some back up?"

"No problem." She stepped back, about to move away. "We'll sort this Jack, we'll get him well again."

"Is that a promise?"

Martha wished it could be. "I can only promise my best efforts on his behalf."

"That's good enough for me."

Owen loved his helicopter ride because he discovered in his undead state that he could not get airsick. Three hours later and he was examining Ianto extremely thoroughly under Jack's concerned gaze. Martha had returned to UNIT HQ to oversee questioning the prisoners. Owen talked to the UNIT doctors and found out that Ianto's sister and her two children were also there at the 'research facility'. Owen checked them over as well, the children were not too seriously ill, but Rhiannon Evans was in the same condition as her younger brother. It took Owen some time to convince Jack to leave Ianto's bed side and get him out of the containment area so that they could talk properly.

Owen's face spoke volumes. "We really need more intel Jack. I think you should help Martha with the interrogations and we should get Tosh in to take apart their computers, she's way better than anyone UNIT will have. I can't help Ianto without more information."

Jack ran his hand through his hair. "Ok, I'll sort out a hotel for us, there's a Holiday Inn a couple of streets away and I'll send for Tosh." He hesitated looking away from Owen for a moment. "Be straight with me, how bad is he?"

Owen followed Jack's gaze. "Both he and his sister are in a bad way, I suggest you contact their mother. Ianto appears to be more stable. This could go either way Jack and we can't start treating them.... like I said more info."

Jack nodded. "Right then. I'll tell Martha I'm on my way. You have any specific questions I need to be asking?"

"The medical ones?"

Jack nodded.

"Martha will know, you're just good on the persuation side of things... Don't hold back Jack, even if you have to torture the bastards."

Jack pulled his mobile out of his trouser pockets. "You have my word."


	9. Chapter 9

**DON'T LOOK NOW: PART 9**

Martha failed to hide her surprise when Jack stepped into her office with a worried look on his face. She put down her phone and smiled at him, but he did not return the gesture. He just shoved his hands into his pockets and looked at her intently.

"I'm taking over Martha. As you quite rightly stated earlier this IS a Torchwood problem an internal one at that. However I would still appreciate being able to work alongside UNIT in this matter as I believe this is going to affect both agencies. I've summond Tosh, she's going to take apart the computers over at the... facility. However, I need access to the prisoners. Owen is unwilling to proceed with any medical treatments until he has a clearer idea about what we are up against."

Martha nodded taking this all in without any show of dismay or surprise, Jack seemed to be more like the Jack she knew, quiet anger simmering beneath his polite facade.

"I figured as much. It's all in hand, we're more than happy to take your lead on this. I've collated data on all the prisoners we have been able to identify. There's three doctors, a pathologist and 2 genticists. The project co-ordinator appears to be one Professor Susan Hope, formerly of Torchwood One. This research programme seems to have been going for sometime Jack...."

"We're estimating at least 30 years... The test subjects are products of some kind of breeding programme, well we think anyway. We've only been able to run tests on Ianto so far... Owen's going to try to comfirm."

Martha registered the look of discomfort on Jack's face. "Ianto?"

Jack nodded. "His DNA has been tampered with, we think from birth.... Shit." He lost his composure for a moment and ran a hand through his hair. "Right then take me to see Susan Hope."

"Now?"

"Yes. I want answers. Owen is concerned that we may lose those that are still alive.... Ianto doesn't have a of lot time Martha."

"Ok. You'd better come this way."

Jack followed her out of the office and down a long grey corridor. He walked at her side.

"How is Owen doing now?"

"He's ok, adjusting. We've had a lot of time together to talk about things, as cruel as it sounds I think it's done him some good, he seems more content to me."

Martha smiled up at him. "That's good to know."

"How's Tom?"

"He's brilliant. He's in Africa for next month. It's going really well for us."

"Good, I'm pleased for you guys and looking forward to meeting him..... Martha." Jack grasped her hand and pulled her to a stop. "I need free reign with the prisoner, you understand?"

She did not like the look in his eyes.

"Whatever happens in that cell you are not to interfere, no one from UNIT is to interfere. If I am right in thinking these experiments are unsanctioned then none of the people you arrested today should see the light of day again anyway."

"What are you going to do Jack?"

"Get answers, by whatever means I deem fit."

Martha chewed at her lower lip. "Perhaps it's best I don't ask further."

Jack nodded.

Susan Hope sat calmly on the metal chair that was bolted to the floor, she gazed about the featureless concrete cell and finally focused on the single overhead light that was hidden behind a wire cage. She was quietly confident that she would be out of here anytime soon, she had friends, powerful friends who supported and funded her work. She was head of Torchwood 4, a rogue division dedicated to.....

The door swung open letting in a flood of light and a tall figure who seemed to take up the entire cell as he stepped into the space, a bucket clutched in his left hand. A bucket of water, she noted somewhat curiously. The moment he stepped under the light of the room the door slammed shut and was locked behind him. Susan looked up immediately recognising Captain Harkness of Torchwood 3, how could one forget, she thought rather fondly. Susan rose to her feet, the handcuffs and shackles rattling as did so.

"Captain Harkness, it's good to see you again."

The bucket was placed on the floor.

"Susan." There was obvious distaste in his tone. "I wish I could say the feeling was mutual. I might have known you were part of this."

"So."

"So..... I want some answers, you are going to give them to me."

Susan resumed her seat and offered up an all too comfortable smile. "I have nothing to say to you, you have no authority over me. You have no idea how much trouble you are in for interfering with my operation."

Jack stared down at her. "You're right, I have no authority over you what so ever, the same as I didn't with Yvonne Hartman, but do not make the mistake of thinking that you are getting out of here. There is no one who can help you and if you actually want to live I suggest you start answering my questions."

Susan snorted. "What's up, your little sex toy on a tight time line is he?"

Jack did not rise to the bait. "There are twelve people still alive in that facility of yours. I'm not even going to guess at how many deaths you are responsible for."

"Deaths? You dignify them with that word? Those things are lab animals. Creatures that I myself engineered for this project, don't think for one moment that they qualify as being human."

Jack was wholly aware that she was trying to goad him into over reacting. He folded his arms across his chest. "So, what are they then?"

Susan let out a chuckle. "Oh, no you don't Harkness. Just because 30 years ago you could charm your way into my knickers. I'm not falling for your polite interest, I've said all I'm going to." She had no choice but to bide her time.

Jack nodded accepting that the proverbial gauntlet had been thrown down. He took a moment to glance around the concrete box they were in and glanced in the direction of the security camera and gave a slight nod. The cue to remind those on the outside to stay outside. He returned his attention to the woman shackled in front of him.

"To think I actually liked you once, you were smart, witty, beautiful.... what happened Susan? What made you change?" Jack walked behind her his feet barely making a sound.

Susan didn't move, confident that someone would come for her. "Someone discovered my talents Jack, realised my gifts. You don't say no to someone who funds your research and gives you a free hand to do what you will.... You really have no idea how big this is."

Jack's hand came down firmly on her left shoulder. "Don't bank on it. Hired assassins, secret facilities, bodies around every corner..... I know where these things lead.... money and politics.... I imagine some underhanded government re-jigging of finances somewhere, a bribe or two.... maybe the odd car bomb. I've been around a lot longer than you have Susan... I know how to play those kind of games. Trust me when I tell you, no one is coming for you. Now, if you talk, you live, if you don't I can take a very long time to kill you, a very long time. And understand one thing.... if Ianto Jones or anyone else dies you will too. So I suggest you help me out here before I get annoyed." His grip tightened and Susan started to feel her confidence waver, just a little. A small tightening in her gut.

"So we'll start with all the data you have on the work you have been doing, how do we proceed with treating those patients in Merton?"

Susan closed her eyes. "I have nothing to say."

Pain suddenly shot through her head as she was grabbed by her hair and dragged to the floor. Susan opened her eyes, her face forcefully hovering above the water in the metal bucket, she could see her distorted reflection staring back at her.

"Wrong answer."

Martha Jones turned away from the monitor unable to watch as the woman's head was held down in the bucket of water.


	10. Chapter 10

**DON'T LOOK NOW: PART 10**

Susan was slumped in the chair, her lank hair hanging wet and water trickling down her haggard face as she hauled in uneven breaths. She could see Jack's boots, his feet spaced apart, she could guess he was still standing over her, arms folded across his chest completely in control. His calmness washed over her like a shroud, but she knew he was losing his patience, a bit of head dunking she could handle, but she knew full well that Jack was only just warming up. She heard the door open and the sound of heeled footsteps and she recognised the voice of the UNIT officer who had questioned her earlier. She exchanged a hushed dialogue with Jack and left the room taking the bucket with her. The door was closed again. Suddenly Jack's face was in her blurry line of sight, his nose inches away from hers. Susan met his look defiantly and all he did was smile.

Stars exploded in her vision along with the sound of a gunshot and searing pain in her leg. Instinctively she reached out her hands out but the manacles prevented her from grasping the wound in her thigh. Jack's hands got there before she could catch a breath and she screamed at the increase in the pain. His voice filtered through her need to black out.

"I'm going to keep this up until you talk and trust me you'll not be bleeding to death any time soon, how much pain can you take Suze?"

She looked down through her tears and watched as Jack widened the bullet hole with his fingers, oblivious to the blood and gore.

"You see now I got a hole to work with, I can snap tendons, fillet the muscles, strip out a vein or two. Owen will be pissed I normally only get to play with corpses these days and they aint half as entertaining, don't make the same kind of noises." He twisted something, she screamed again, trying to get away which brought more pain, her whole body burning with it. "You know I met some cannibals last year, one of them nearly et my friends. I've never eaten human meat before. Ianto says it doesn't taste like chicken, actually he was adamant it doesn't, probably because he likes chicken. I'm more of a red meat kinda guy myself...."

She registered a flash of metal, a knife? Jack was holding it up in a bloodied hand. "What do you think? Ianto's a great cook, maybe I could get him to whip me something up with this?"

Susan almost fainted, her resolve crumbling.... but she knew she couldn't tell, she'd die if she did, she'd die if she didn't.....

Martha Jones watched in horror, she had known for a long time that Jack's past wasn't exactly a heroic one, now she saw why, her stomach churned with unease, but lives were at stake, what was one against 12? She tried to tell herself that this was justified and then she found herself hoping that the Doctor never found out about it.

Owen sat at Ianto's beside studying the charts that had been recovered from an office opposite the containment room. He was not optimistic. All the patients in the room were gradually getting worse, their vital organs failing. There were not enough dialysis machines to go round and Ianto's sister Rhia had deteriorated dramatically. Ianto's condition had not changed, he remained comatose and unresponsive... at least he wasn't any worse. Owen looked down at his young colleague, his most unlikely friend and rather surprised himself by thinking of Ianto in those terms. He looked more peaceful than Owen had ever seen him.

Tosh had arrived and set to work breaking into the computers systems to try and retrieve all the deleted files.

There had been no word from Jack.


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: You're absolutely right McParrot......**

**DON'T LOOK NOW: PART 11**

"Jack stop!" Martha's voice snapped him back to his senses and he got up and glared at the woman who had shouted his name. It took great force of will not to recoil away from the anger radiating off her.

He stood there bloodied hands limp at his sides, Susan lying huddled up on the floor behind him by his feet, neither Jack or Martha registering the satisfied look on her face. The rescue party had arrived.

"Jack can you come with me, please?"

Jack followed without a word and Susan watched as the door was locked and she was finally alone, she could hear raised voices outside of her cell.

Martha stood feet apart, arms folded across her chest, trying hard to look as menacing as possible.

"I can't stand by and watch any more of that Jack. I am not letting you back in that cell."

Jack couldn't help but see the disappointment in her face. "I need answers."

"And you're not getting them that way. I'm sorry Jack, it's just plain wrong."

"And leaving Ianto and those others to die isn't?" His fists clenched at his sides. "You have no idea what he has been put through, what those people have done! How can you stand there and tell me not to do something to save Ianto. He's all I have Martha, the only one who accepts me." He was yelling at her now. Martha took a pace back instinctively, she had never seen Jack this angry, didn't believe he was capable of such rage.

"So you think that behaving this way...is justifiable Jack? I thought you were a better man than that, the Doctor always believed that you were. Ianto certainly believes that you are. If you truly love him that much then you will not dishonour him by sinking to this. I can't believe I have stood back as long as I have. I'm disgusted with myself and with you."

Jack froze, gaping her. "I can't lose him Martha." The words were out of his mouth before he even realised it.

Martha cautiously stretched out her hand. "Do you think he would want you to sacrifice your humanity for him? I can't claim to know him Jack, but I am certain he would not want this, wouldn't expect you to do that for him. Jack you have to see that."

He took her offered hand. "I can't lose him. I've lost so much Martha.... I just can't." He was desperate.

"I'm your friend Jack, but I cannot stand by and watch you torture someone, I am a doctor which means 'do no harm' no matter what. I know how you feel Jack, you know I understand, after everything we went through, please......" Martha pulled him close and hugged him, burying her face against his chest. "Jack, you know he'd never forgive you if.... You've got me, Owen and Tosh and half of UNIT working on this. What Ianto needs is you by his side, holding his hand and telling him to hold on. That will be the best thing you can do for him. Believe me Jack I know."

Jack enveloped her in his arms, holding her close. "I just feel so helpless."

"I know Jack but you have to have faith in him and in us, we will get to the bottom of this and we will do our damndest to save Ianto. This is something you have to let us do."

"How'd you get so wise?"

Martha smiled into his shirt. "I had a good teacher Jack. I also remember Ianto from 'that year' and what he was like..... you would have been proud of him, don't give him reason not to be proud of you. He doesn't have anyone else Jack, you need to be strong for him, you need to do the right thing, not the easy thing and taking out your fear and anger on the prisoners is not going to help." She eased herself back her hands still firmly gripping his arms. "Now go get cleaned up, put on some fresh clothes and return to Merton and when Ianto wakes up you'll be there looking like his shiny hero, the man he knows you to be, the man you are." There was a sparkle in her eyes as she smiled at him.

Jack smiled back and touched her cheek with a shaking hand. "My nightingale." He murmured.

"Now go."

Martha watched as Jack departed through the swing door at the end of the corridor and then turned and went into the cell to confront her prisoner. Martha stood by the door.

"I'll send someone in to treat your injuries. You'll not be harmed again, but I will not apologise for Captain Harkness' treatment of you. Jack wouldn't have done it without good reason. You won't be getting out of here because you have no rights in this building, if you want to be given any rights again you need to co-operate, unless of course you want to spend the rest of your life in this facility."

She turned and left, ordering the guard outside to send for a medic, regardless of her position as a doctor Martha could not bring herself to help the woman any more than she had already, she wondered fleetingly if that made her any better or worse than Jack.

Two hours later and Jack was back in a Hazmat suit at Ianto's side with Owen's assurance that the young man's condition hadn't deteriorated over the last few hours. Jack sat there by the bed side holding Ianto's hand hoping that he had some sense of his presence there.

Toshiko was smiling happily as Owen stepped into the office that sat opposite the containment area.

"Ok, Owen I've retrieved all the deleted files, you need to tell what I am looking for."

"Jeez Tosh, that was quick." He couldn't hide the admiration.

"Actually it was easy, they tried doing this in a hurry and nothing has been encrypted, they obviously didn't have an IT expert here, thankfully."

Owen couldn't agree more he knew how long how it take to break inconvenient pass codes.

"Ok, let's start with patient records for Ianto, see if it tells us what they have been giving him."

Tosh tapped away with swift key strokes.

"How's Jack?" She asked not pausing from her task as various charts came up on the screen. Owen was reading through over her shoulder, gripping the back of the chair.

"He's sitting with Tea Boy. I don't think he's coping too well with this.... stop there open that one up." He pointed to a folder on the screen.

Tosh obliged and sat back a little as Owen scanned the data in front of him. "You beauty! That's it Tosh, print it off. I need to find their drugs cabinet."

Two hours later and Owen was stood in a large fridge surrounded by shelves of bottles and vials, hundreds of them. Jack was at his side along with Martha whom Owen had called in to help.

"We need to go through all of these to find Ianto's. They've got a section allocated to each patient with all the drugs they need for treatment."

Martha was confused. "You mean they weren't treating the patients?"

Owen shook his head. "Everybody has been bred with differences in their DNA, minute differences. What they have been doing is infecting them with what looks like a retro virus. I'll need to take a closer at it for the purposes of studying the resulting disease. The treatments are all here. I think what they were trying to do was work out the most effective way of killing a specific gentic group within the population without it impacting on anyone else."

Martha looked horrified.

Jack was thoughtful. "But you said the aberrant DNA in Ianto was alien."

"It is Jack. I suspect that if the scientists and doctors on this project were tested you'd find that they are not human either, well not entirely anyway."

"Aliens experimenting on aliens here on Earth? Thats...."

"Not as crazy as it sounds. We've had run ins with this kind of thing before, sleeper agents that appear human, think they are human. Ianto had no idea about his true heritage until we tested him. If there has been some long term breeding program going on, what worries me is that Torchwood knew about it and even supported it." Jack gazed about the room. "Ok, can we talk about this later and sort these people out."

Owen sighed as he injected the liquid into Ianto's IV line. He knew it was a risk doing it but there was little choice, he didn't have time to run the tests he wanted to Ianto and the other patients didn't have that luxury so Ianto had become the test subject. Owen hoped it was right because Jack was going to throttle him otherwise.

Martha watched from the outside of the containment area as Owen worked. Jack was back at Ianto's side, no longer in a Haz Mat suit as Owen had determined that he was perfectly safe and not likely to become infectious. Tosh was standing beside her arms folded across her chest.

"You talked to Jack, didn't you?" Tosh asked not taking her eyes away from Ianto.

"How do you know?"

"Jack would have been raging by now. He's never good at controlling his feelings where Ianto is concerned." Tosh turned and smiled at her. "He's never told us how he knows you, but you obviously have his trust and respect. I'm glad you're helping us Martha."

Martha smiled at her. "One day I'll tell you how we met. What I will tell you is that Ianto means a lot to me because although he doesn't know it, he saved my life.... died for me in fact and he did it because he loved Jack. It's hard to explain Tosh and don't ask Jack, it was a painful time for him, he'll tell you when he is ready."

"Did you really save the world? Jack told me that you did."

Martha laughed. "The Doctor saved the world, I just helped him along a bit and in turn Ianto helped me. Just look at them Tosh, they're just meant to be."

Both women returned their gaze Owen, Jack and Ianto. Martha finally stepped back. "Right I have a phone call to make. I think I have a friend who will want to know what the hell has been going on here."


	12. Chapter 12

**DON'T LOOK NOW: PART TWELVE**

There was a confusion of noise and coloured light. It was comforting in a strange, stoned sort of way and Ianto was reminded of his early Cambridge days sitting with Ralph and Ollie in Professor Symmon's office smoking god only knew what at 2am for a dare. He had never laughed so hard in his life and when they had beat a hasty retreat through the first floor window into the courtyard, there was this magnificent sense of invincibility as he leapt the ten feet or so down on to the forbidden turf. His ribs had ached for days from the laughter, his ankle had been sprained. The memory brought tears of renewed grief at the loss of both of his friends, Ralph to Canary Wharf and Ollie to.... whatever the fuck this was. He blinked the water away and let out a sigh, which was choked by an obstruction in his mouth. Ianto's eyes snapped open.

Jack nearly leapt out of his seat in surprise. It was the last thing he was expecting, to see those beautiful blues again and he immediately leant forward.

"Ianto, hey." He kissed his forehead. "Thank God, you're ok, you're ok." Jack turned away and Ianto was aware of him disappearing from his line of sight and momentarily panicked he tried to speak.

"Owen, he's awake!"

Ianto blinked again, taking in an unfamiliar ceiling above him, the inability to feel anything or to move, and there was Jack again, smiling and touching his face.

Waking up was a blur of uncomfortable movements, proddings and poking and voices that were not really making much sense, because he was too exhausted to listen. A suited stranger flashed something blue and glowing in his face and he could hear Owen cursing colourfully and every so often Jack's reassuring tones and touches. Ianto allowed himself to sink into the mire of a clouded world, not quite sleeping, just vaguely aware without taking any of it in. He remembered Toshiko being there, stroking his brow and singing soothingly in Japanese. He liked that, she had done it once before when Jack had deserted them, so long ago now. He lost track of time and motion after that, the babble become another blur until finally the crunching of his stomach brought him to his senses. He opened his eyes and fixed his gaze upon a skinny, suited man with wild hair and glasses. Ianto frowned at him and opened his mouth to talk, rather dismayed that what came out sounded more like weevil speak.

"It's alright Mr Jones. Water?"

Ianto nodded and opened his mouth as ice chips were pressed to his lips. He closed his eyes in pleasure as the cooling melting ice ran down his throat.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." More was offered and Ianto took it.

Jack watched from the door as the Doctor carefully fed Ianto with iced water, talking to him in hushed, calming tones. He had been relieved beyond belief when the Doctor had strolled through the doors the previous day, whatever it was the Doctor had done, Ianto had woken up. Jack didn't care about the how. He entered the room and took a seat around the other side of Ianto's bed and grasped the young man's hand. It was still weak and felt cold under the burn scars, but he was comforted by the faint returning squeeze of his fingers. The Doctor's brown eyes met Jack's blue ones, his eyebrows arched at the sight of Jack holding tightly on to the patient.

"I didn't realise he was so important to you."

Jack offered up a smile to his friend and mentor. "One of my responsibilities. Ianto is..... well...." He couldn't find adequate words, especially when he realised that Ianto was looking at him as well. The Welshman was smiling at him.

"I can't lose him."

The Doctor nodded, understanding, he'd felt the same way about Rose, still did.

"He's going to be fine, with plenty of rest and TLC." The Doctor turned to look at Ianto. "I have some nano genes on the Tardis, we can fix up those hands of yours too, just as soon as you're up and about. Now I just have to go and check on the other patients."

Ianto nodded. "Is my sister alright?"

"Your family are fine, they've been transferred to the UNIT facility, which is where you will be going later today. There's no need to worry, Martha Jones will be looking after you and the fine Dr Harper, you're in good hands."

"I know, sir. Whatever it was you did. Thank you."

Jack and Ianto both watched as the Doctor rose to his feet and affectionately ruffled Ianto's hair before leaving them alone together.

"I like him." Ianto murmured.

Jack grinned. "Yeah, me too."

"Is it over Jack? This whole mess, is it finally finished?"

Jack rested his head down on the edge of the bed and Ianto's fingers found their way into his soft hair, gently caressing his scalp.

"I don't know, Yan. Whoever set this up, must have had help and lots of money from somewhere. The people that are being held by UNIT are not talking. Tosh and Owen have pulled a lot of information from the computers but nothing to indicate where the support is coming from." He replied, relishing the contact and succumbing to his own exhaustion. Ianto gently prodded his shoulder.

"Come up here Jack and lie down."

Jack sat up and Ianto awkwardly moved himself to one side of the cot. Once he was settled Jack pulled off his boots and climbed on beside him, pulling Ianto's body close to his. They settled back, Ianto still under the blankets, Jack on top, Ianto's head resting against his. It wasn't long before they were both asleep. Tosh came in and found them and took a photo on her mobile phone before creeping back out of the room.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"So Jack, what exactly has been going on?"

The Doctor stretched back in the chair in Martha's office and he took the cup of tea his former companion offered him before she, too sat down. The Two them fixed their gaze firmly on Jack.

"It's a long story, so I'll give you the shortened version. Ianto independently began investigating some deaths a few months ago. It lead us up to a facility in Scotland where we found more bodies. We then found out Ianto isn't exactly pure human and we think he was part of a research program, connected to Torchwood 1 and 4. There's not a lot of evidence. Ianto was part of a breeding program some alien human hybrid being, bred for the purposes of research into alien biological weapons. We're looking at one race of aliens experimenting on another, testing out different disease and their antidotes. There's a lot more to it than that, but that's the gist of it."

"Sounds a bit X-files to me." Martha commented.

The Doctor wondered what she was talking about. "Do we know which races?"

Jack shook his head. "No matches on either the UNIT or Torchwood databases, maybe the Tardis will know, but we certainly don't. However, both sides appear to be remarkably similar to humans in their physiology. The alien markers in Ianto were minimal and Owen thinks they are almost completely redundant too. These people have operated with in Torchwood without sharing anything with the other branches, they've been completely independant of us. Bloody Hartman must have known something, but you know what the old regime was like."

"Right then, well lets get Ianto aboard the Tardis and have a look at him, see if we can't get to the bottom of this. It may be a matter for the Shadow Proclamation, but if we can identify the race involved, well it's a starting point."

"Could they be from the future?"

The Doctor smiled over his mug of tea at Jack. "Highly possible, manipulating the past by altering the genetics of their ancestors, but if Ianto is 25 years old, it means it's been going on for...."

"We estimate at least 30 years. We know all the test subjects have been tagged electronically and that a lot of them are out there in the world."

"But were Rhiannah's children tagged?" Martha asked.

Jack shook his head. "Which means there could be an untold number of unaccounted for child hybrids in the general population that we can do nothing about."

The Doctor looked thoughtful. "Still, they seem harmless enough, your Ianto hasn't proved to be any kind of a threat has he?"

"Ianto is as safe as houses. There's really not a lot we can do is there?"

"Not really Jack. Once I've analysed Ianto I'll take a trip to find where these people have come from, if I can, but beyond that, unless you have a way of finding out who is financing and co-ordinating all this....."

Jack was shaking his head. "So far there's been nothing. Work in progress, which means they'll just start all over again when all the attention has died down."

"Probably......Right then. Jack why don't you go and bring Ianto to the Tardis. I promised I'd fix his hands if nothing else."


	13. Chapter 13

**AN: My apologies for taking so long to update this story...i lost my notes...yes occasionally I do write notes...so here goes. **

**DON'T LOOK NOW: Part 13**

Ianto stood on the thresh hold of the legendary time machine and gaped, open mouthed at the interior that arched above his head. He paused, taking in the coral struts and the sudden feeling of stepping into something alive and breathing as a warm wash of welcome flooded into his mind. It made him feel slightly giddy in a happy, gushing sort of way and he turned and smiled at Jack who was standing beside him, grasping his elbow to prevent him from falling over. Still smiling rather stupidly Ianto took a tentative step forward up the ramp.

"She's beautiful." Escaped his lips and that comment elicited broad grins from the both the Doctor and Jack alike.

"Yes, she is isn't she?" The Doctor was beaming. "Welcome aboard Mr Jones, glad to see you on your feet."

Ianto allowed himself to be guided to a ratty couch and he sat down, Jack plonking down beside him. Ianto continued to gaze about, his eyes wide and both Jack and the Doctor watched his wonderment, both wondering when the comment about the Tardis' dimensions was to come. It didn't.

"Is this where you live Doctor?"

The Doctor pulled off his glass and parked his backside against the console.

"Yes, the Tardis and I are sort of bound together I suppose."

Ianto nodded and turned to face him. "It's like living with your mother's love surrounding you, I mean that is what it feels like to me sitting here."

"She likes you."

Jack was looking at the Doctor intently, he had never felt anything of the sort from the old time machine. He couldn't decide whether he should be jealous or not but decided to change the subject anyway.

"So Doc what were you able to find out about Ianto's DNA?"

"Ah, that's really quite interesting you know." The Doctor leapt to his feet and ran round to the opposite side of the console, he began working a key pad there and brought up a series of diagrams on the screen in front. "Come and have a look at this."

Jack and Ianto were there at his side a moment later.

"Tell what we are looking at Doc."

The Doctor was smiling. "Your Dr Harper is really quite smart you know. He was quite right in stating that the differences between Ianto and the rest of you humans were minimal and that those differences were pretty much insignificant. It's not that Ianto is part alien, he's not from the future.... well his father wasn't. The DNA markers mean that his forebears jumped over from another dimension and judging by the possible numbers I'd go so far as to say that there were a reasonable amount of them that came over as well."

Ianto was intently studying the information on the screen. "So what's with the biological experimentations, what purpose does that serve?"

The Doctor shrugged. "I have no idea, but if there was some form of Eugenics or Biological war going on, it stands to reason that they may have been researching cures or other means of destroying one another."

"Surely we'd know about a dimensional breach?" Jack asked unconsciously rubbing the small of Ianto's back in a comforting gesture.

"Yes, the one at Canary Wharf.... but that was huge and giving off enormous amounts meson radiation. It's possible that there is a smaller breach that is being controlled to make it undetectable. If these people have been here for thirty odd years, maybe they are just biding their time until another breach opens up naturally....."

"Or they are able to open one up when they are ready to." Ianto added.

Neither Jack or the Doctor liked that train of thought.

"Either way there is little I can do short of scanning the entire planet for signs of the breach and hope we get lucky." The Doctor concluded. "I'll get to it right away, I'll look at amplifying the scans through your Rift Manipulator, it will increase the sensitivity of the scans."

Jack nodded. "Ok Tosh can set that up. Meanwhile, what about Ianto and the other patients?"

The Doctor gave him a cheerful grin. "Don't worry they'll all be fine. I made refinements to the drugs they were being given.... I did promise to have a look at your hands though, come this way." He practically bounced out of the console room and Ianto somehow wasn't surprised to discover that the TARDIS was even bigger than he first thought. He exchanged smiles with Jack and dutifully followed where the Doctor lead and Jack trailed behind, taking a moment to enjoy the fact that he was back on reassuring and familiar territory. Whilst the TARDIS had once been home, he came to understand that he had moved on since those heady days with the Doctor and Rose and that he had changed in every way that it was possible to change. Ianto was his home now and that was strangely reassuring even though he knew that Ianto would die all too soon and leave him alone again, if nothing else the trauma of the last few months had taught him to hold on to the younger man for as long as he could. It had been a long time since he felt the desire to be with someone til the end. Whatever end that may be.

They entered a small sterile white room set up with an exam couch and Ianto obligingly sat on the edge of it while the Doctor went to one of the cupboards and removed a silver flask. Ianto watched, slightly nervous. He looked to Jack for guidance but all Jack could was smile stupidly back.

"Nano genes Doc?"

The Doctor unscrewed the lid. "Hold out your hands Mr Jones."

Ianto hesitated.

"It's quite alright. It'll feel a bit tingly nothing more."

Ianto did as he was asked and the Doctor upended the flask and the contents engulfed Ianto's hands in a green phosphorous light. Fire flies danced around his damaged flesh and Ianto watched transfixed as his hands were repaired right before his very eyes. The Doctor and Jack had taken a step back so as not to confuse the nano's from their work.

"Wow." Ianto breathed. "They are.... extraordinary." The tingling was more of a tickle and Jack watched as a smile alighted on the young man's face, laughter followed and Jack could not help but chuckle and half wished Owen could see this. After some minutes and their work done the nanos dissipated and then vanished and Ianto was left staring at his perfect hands completely unable to take it in.

"Jack look." He held them up and Jack took them in his own.

"I can feel you again. That is amazing." Ianto faced the Doctor. "Thank you so much.... thank you."

"You see Ianto, not everything out there is all bad." Jack kissed his perfect fingers. "Thanks Doc."

Ianto gazed at his hands for a long time before sucking in a deep breath, a thought had occur to him.

"Jack, Owen said that my DNA abnormalities came from my Father, does that mean that he is still alive? I mean Mam would've known.... maybe she didn't if the person who get her pregnant was in fact my Father but from this parallel dimension. Euan Jones, I mean not my Tad, but Euan Jones.... am I making sense?"

Jack nodded. "Yes you are, but does it matter?"

Ianto nodded. "It means that Mam was telling the truth. I'll never be able to explain to her... That's... I mean it's nothing short of rape." His gut churned at the thought. "Is there any way of finding these people?"

"We're working on it Yan, but I'm not hopeful."

"Does that mean they'll try again? I mean it's not going to go away is it?"

Jack looked to the Doctor who shrugged. "I don't know Ianto, I really don't. Now without sounding over protective, you need to rest and let the rest of us do the thinking, ok?"

Ianto nodded. He wasn't ok about it, but he knew Jack was right and for once he decided to heed the advice.

"Can we go home then?"

"Yes."

Ianto turned to the Doctor. "You're welcome to join us. We have a nice spare room in the house."

"In Cardiff?"

Ianto nodded. "It overlooks the sea, though at this time of year the view is rather bleak."

The Doctor smiled. "I think a holiday and a pit stop is a good idea. It'll give the old girl a chance to recharge. Then I will see if I can't find evidence of this breach. Thank you Mr Jones."

"Ianto.. sir, call me Ianto."

"Ianto it is."


	14. Chapter 14

**DON'T LOOK NOW: 14**

The Doctor stood behind Tosh, who was working at her terminal, his hands were shoved deep into his trouser pockets and he excitedly bounced on the balls of his feet as he watched her in action. He was grinning at Jack, finally understanding why Jack had turned down the opportunity to dance among the stars with him on one exciting adventure after another. Jack's eccentric team truly were brilliant, Toshiko with her enquiring mind and undoubted technical know how. Dr Harper with his brusque manner and deep compassion and Gwen the doey eyed human heart of the group, who seemed to energise her team mates and remind them of they were there in the first place. Finally the Doctor had a Torchwood that he could trust to do the right thing and he was infinitely proud of the work that Jack had put into it. Moreover he was delighted that Jack had seemed to find some peace and purpose in his long life, perhaps this was the anchor that the man had needed. A place where he felt needed and could lead at the same time, as well do some good. He saw Jack smiling back at him before returning his attention to the young man he was talking to in his office. One Ianto Jones. Strangely the doctor remembered him from Canary Wharf, a fleeting glimpse through flame and smoke of a suited man standing at a fire exit directing his colleagues to what he thought had been safety. The Doctor shook his head and returned his attention to Toshiko's screens and realised she was pulling her glasses off and smiling up at him. Tosh was delighted to meet him again, this reincarnation was cuter than the last one.

"I'm all set here, all we have to do is hard wire your console into the Rift Manipulator and then we can begin the scans." She informed him.

The Doctor completely failed to hide his surprise. "Wow, thank you Miss Sato, come on then. I'm sure you'd like a peek inside the TARDIS."

Tosh's grin got notably wider and she veritably leapt out of her seat.

Jack returned his gaze to Ianto. In the month since the Doctor's arrival the young man had recovered well and was pretty much back to his old self, physically at least. He was still quiet and reluctant to talk about what had been happening, but in truth there hadn't been much time to talk. The clean up in London had taken a long time, following on from that was the fact that Ianto had made it his responsibility to Retcon his sister and her children and get them readjusted to the loss of two months worth of memory. Jack had been worried that the emotional toll would be too much, but Ianto handled it well, not willing to trust anyone else with his family members. Jack understood only too well how difficult Ianto found it to trust anyone, especially now. This week had seen more weevil alerts than there had been in the previous 6 months as the Rift, whilst not spewing things out at them had certainly been edgy. Owen's assumption that the Weevils were Rift sensitive could not be disputed. This week had also seen Ianto's return to full time duties which basically meant cleaning up the mess of the last 3 months and catching up on the back log of filing and cataloguing. So, no time.... until now. Ianto placed a stack of forms on Jack's desk.

"Expenses reports and case files that need signing off. Did you want some coffee to get you started?"

Jacked eyed him somewhat amused. "You think I can't cope with this without?"

"Thinking has got nothing to do with it." Ianto replied with that all knowing look on his face.

Jack was pleased to see some laughter in the younger man's eyes, it had taken long enough to get it there. He sighed rather dramatically and slumped into his chair behind his desk.

"You'd think in this day and age......"

Ianto didn't let him finish. "You'd only ignore the emails if I sent it electronically and you are rather too fond of that delete button." He teased and Jack was half tempted to get up and kiss away the cheeky grin on Ianto's face.

"Coffee would be wonderful and if we have any of those really nice chocolate biscuits?" He put on his best puppy look and Ianto, shaking his head, left the office.

The day passed quietly. Tosh was so excited, but extremely dignified, about getting inside the TARDIS and by late evening the scans were being done. It would be a slow process and the Doctor was more than content to let them run over night. He knew deep down that this self imposed break on Earth would have to end soon, but he was in no hurry. Tosh and the Doctor stepped into the Hub to find that only Owen remained as it was his turn on the 'graveyard' shift. Gwen had run home to Rhys and Jack had finally given up on signing things and had gone home to join Ianto, who had left a couple of hours before. Tosh dithered about double checking that the scanning program was doing as it should before plucking up the courage to see if the Doctor wanted to join her for dinner.

"There's a fantastic Turkish place overlooking the bay." She enthused, pulling on her coat.

The Doctor had donned his long brown coat. "You know what I really fancy some fish and chips, we should get some and take them back to Jack's."

Tosh smiled and pulled out her phone. "Sounds like a plan, I'll check in with Jack incase Ianto's cooked already."

The Doctor nodded, he kept forgetting just how domestic Jack had become.

Ianto picked up the phone and smiled on hearing Tosh's voice and quickly agreed to the dinner plans before hanging up. He went to the kitchen and put the coffee on and boiled the kettle for the Doctor's tea. He was happily pottering about his kitchen when the door bell rang. He knew it wasn't Jack as he had been called out to Flat Holm Island, must be Tosh then. Hitching up his track pants he padded bare foot to the front and opened it.

Ianto immediately back pedalled a couple of paces in shock.

"Tad?"

A sheepish grin alighted on his visitor's face.

"May I come in son? We need to talk!"

Ianto gaped disbelieving at the man on his doorstep, his stomach in knots. "You died 7 years ago." He suddenly felt incredibly vulnerable without his gun. "Who the hell are you?"

The man who looked to be in his early fifties, with greying dark curly hair held out two large placatory hands.

"Please Ianto, it's me Tad and we really do need to talk about what's been happening."

The man even sounded like his Tad, had that same glint in his dark blue eyes, completely off balance Ianto gestured him in and closed the door. He pointed to the couch and spoke as mechanically as he could, trying maintain some calm.

"Sit there."

Euan Jones, keeping his hands in plain sight did as he was told. Ianto grabbed his gun from the kitchen and then parked in the arm chair opposite the weapon held in one hand. They sat staring at one another for some time.

"Who are you?" Ianto asked again. There was no way that this man could be his father.

Euan rested his long hands on his knees and leant back into the couch. "I have a lot to explain, will you hear me out?"

Ianto chewed at his lip sincerely wishing that Jack was there, his grip tightened on the gun but his curiosity finally got the better of him so eventually he nodded. Part of him really wanting to believe that the man he had adored so much throughout his childhood was alive and well and sitting on his couch. Ianto half considered the possibility that he was losing it.

"It's a long story."

"I have plenty of time." Ianto answered. "Tell me."

"I am Euan Jones born in Cardiff 1950. When I was seventeen I joined the Euro Alliance as a volunteer serviceman. It meant I could get food credits for my family...."

Ianto frowned as realisation dawned on him but he remained quiet.

"War had been going on for decades between the Eastern Asians and the Euro Alliance. I was sent out as part of a recon team to investigate a strange radiation signal in Norway.... what we found was a gateway to another world.... this world. The gateway was unstable and would often close and then open again sometimes these events were months apart. Anyway the war took a nasty turn, biological weapons were used and the research staff based by the gateway and the battalion guarding it all escaped through the gate. 182 of us in total. Dr Mahinda the project leader guessed that the gateway would not open again for some years."

Ianto edged forwards a little. "So you were stranded here."

"Effectively. A core group of us decided to try and make our own way in the world, the rest.... well to be honest I have only recently discovered what they have been up to. It was 1980 here when we came through, so I went to Wales to try and find my family here, only to discover that they were all dead and that I was dating a pretty valleys girl......" He paused scrubbing his hands over his face and Ianto waited patiently for him to continue, though he had a pretty good idea about what he was going to be told.

"I did a terrible thing, at the time I was just trying to survive and build a new life for myself and I was still young and stupid. I stole Euan's life, I abducted him and held him prisoner for 22 years. I took his woman, who eventually became my wife and mother to our son and daughter......" He couldn't look at Ianto's shocked expression. Ianto just shook his head not wanting to accept what he was hearing.

"Then what happened?"

"I began to hear rumours, I wasn't the only one to steal an identity, but it was rumoured that the gateway had reopened and with that knowledge I knew I had to leave, try to get home. I wanted to take you all with me, but I knew that your Mam would never accept what I should have told her. I also knew that the only life for you all back in my world was likely to be post war, disease, starvation......."

"So you ran out on us?"

He nodded. "I brought my captive out into the light of day, gave him a drug to induce a fast growing cancer than dumped him at the hospital and disappeared. I left enough evidence around the house to convince your mother that I'd been hiding the fact that I had terminal cancer, getting into the local medical databases was easy."

As he spoke Ianto could feel his anger welling up and he fought hard not to raise the gun in his hand and shoot the man where he sat.

"You know about everything that's been happening, explain that."

"The others infiltrated Torchwood One and UNIT and another organisation called 'Freesearch', they began experiments seeking to find cures for the engineered bio weapons back on my Earth, they interbred with people here, tried cloning.... you name it they did it. I don't how exactly, I didn't want to get involved I felt guilty enough for taking away one man's life. I thought you'd be safe from them, if they thought I was dead. But you, you bloody fool got yourself recruited into Torchwood, they had tabs on you for years; I later found out had you and your sister were tagged when you were children..... I am sorry Ianto, truly I am. But I am your father, the man that raised you and loved you. I'm trapped here and now that the London operation has been shut down I finally felt safe enough to come out of hiding to explain everything to you."

Ianto was lost for words.


End file.
